Untitled and taking recommendations
by queequeg0927
Summary: A crisis gone wrong... Do Matt and Emily have the strength to pull through?
1. Chapter 1

"Damn it!!" Frank yelled as he punched the waiting room soda machine, "What the hell went wrong out there?"

Cheryl looked up, her eyes red and watery, "Frank, now's not the time!"

Frank paused long enough to look around the waiting room. Lia still looked stunned, absently picking the nail polish off her pinky.

He could tell Cheryl had been crying, but had managed to pull herself together in front of the team.

Duff simply looked… guilty. "Duff, man, what happened? Your team had the guy surrounded."

Duff's head shot up from its resting place in the palm of his hand, "I-I don't know… no one saw it comin--"

"It was my fault," Emily said flatly, not even looking up from the scuff mark on the floor she'd been staring at for the past two hours.

"No!" Frank interjected, "No, do not let yourself think that, it was not your fault."

He made his way across the waiting room, "Hey, listen to me, you can't blame yourself for this, you'll go crazy sitting here holding in false guilt."

He sat down beside her, wrapping a protective arm over her shoulders, "if you want to blame someone, blame the son of a bitch with the gun."

"It was my fault Frank!" Emily protested, jumping up from her seat, tears once again forming in her eyes.

She paced the waiting area, her arms folded across the front her blood soaked shirt, "It was my responsibility to talk that guy down and I failed. It should be me in that O.R., not him, he doesn't deserve this."

"No one deserves this Em, it was an unfortunate accident, but I'll say this; if Matt could go back he wouldn't change the outcome, he did what he did because he loves you."

Frank put his arms around Emily once again, this time she welcomed the comfort as she relaxed against him.

Emily closed her eyes and rested her head against Frank's chest. She held tight to the tattered, bloody piece of Matt's t-shirt as she began to think back on the tragedy that took place earlier that day.

* * *

_"Alright, I'm coming out… I'm coming out," the HT shouted from the front door of the house._

_He'd barricaded himself and his wife inside after coming home early, only to find her having an affair with one of his best friends. He'd shot and killed the man immediately in a jealous rage, but after a three hour conversation with Emily he'd decided to give up and let his wife go._

_He pushed the woman out the front door of the house a few minutes earlier and watched as the FBI agents led her over to an ambulance. Once she was of sight the man walked out onto to the porch and threw down his pistol._

_Matt and Emily stepped out of the FBI trailer as they watched the surrender unfold._

_Duff stealthily led his team around the side of the house to close in on the hostage taker, just as they were getting into position all hell broke loose. The HT quickly drew a 22 caliber handgun that was tucked away in his pants at the small of his back and opened fire on everyone in sight._

_Matt's eyes grew wide as he saw the man aim the weapon in his direction and he instinctively pushed Emily out of the line of fire. The HT managed to get off six erratically aimed rounds before Duff was able to take him out with a single shot to the head, killing him instantly._

_Pain tore through Emily's shoulder as she hit the pavement, she didn't know why Matt had pushed her to the ground until she heard the gun go off. Emily curled herself into the fetal position behind one of the police cars until she thought it was safe._

_When she heard the gunfire cease around her Emily got to her feet, trying to figure out what just happened. The HT was now lying on the ground with Frank, Duff and the rest of the hostage rescue team standing around him._

_Emily watched as Cheryl stepped out of the FBI trailer and she saw the look of fear that immediately washed over her face. She spun around quickly to see what was wrong._

_It was Matt, he was face down on the pavement, a pool of blood forming around him._

_Emily couldn't move, couldn't breath, she just stood there staring at a lifeless Matt, not knowing what to do._

_"Lehman" Cheryl yelled as she took off running towards her former partner._

_She snapped out of her trance and frantically rushed over to Matt, she kneeled down in the crimson puddle beside him. Rolling Matt over she began shouting his name hoping to find the slightest sign of life, but there was none._

_Emily carefully removed the Kevlar vest that was supposed to protect the man she loved, she silently cursed it for not doing its job. There was far too much blood, she couldn't see where he'd been hit. Refusing to give up on him, a terrified Emily began administering CPR to her partner._

_Cheryl arrived moments later with the paramedics in tow, she then pulled Emily away from the horrible scene before them. They watched together in silence as the EMT's attempted to resuscitate Matt…_


	2. Chapter 2

"Em? Hey Em?" Frank said, interrupting her train of thought.

"What's wrong?" Emily questioned, she was almost afraid to hear the answer.

"The doctor's here," he replied, pointing to the surgeon coming down the hallway.

Emily jumped up to meet the surgeon, a rush of emotion came over her and she had to fight back the tears once again.

"How is he?" she pleaded, the urgency in her voice was unmistakable.

The scrub-clad surgeon glanced down at Emily and then scanned the room, taking a quick look at everyone there. All five pairs of eyes were staring straight at him, waiting patiently for a response.

"He's… stable, for now," the surgeon began, a sigh of relief came from came from each member of the CNU.

"Agent Flannery isn't completely out the woods just yet, his injuries were and still are life threatening and he is unconscious. The bullet entered through his left side between the fifth and sixth rib," he motioned to his side, indicating the whereabouts of Matt's injury. "It punctured his lung and tore through the uppermost part of his liver."

He took a deep breath and continued, "we inserted a chest tube to release the air from his lung, that should be able to come out in a about a day or so. We repaired the damage to his liver as best we could, but the rest is up to him. We just have to wait and see if he regains consciousness."

The surgeon reached out and touched Emily shoulder, it was a small, but comforting gesture, "He's young and strong, he should pull through this just fine."

"Thank you" Emily said, still unsure of the fate of her partner.

"They're moving him to intensive care, you can go see him if you'd like." With that, the doctor turned and made his was back down the long hallway.

Em pushed open the heavy wooden door leading into the ICU room where Matt was recovering for surgery. The shrill beep of the heart monitor echoed through the dimly lit room.

When her partner came into view Emily inhaled deeply, not expecting what she saw. There were tubes and wires attached to every piece of exposed skin and several more were tucked away under his hospital gown.

As she slowly approached Matt, Emily paused taking in the scene before her. She reached for his hand, but stopped-almost afraid to touch him. Instead, she leaned in and ran her fingers through his charcoal hair, she kissed his forehead softly. A stray tear fell on his pillow and Emily stood up quickly, wiping her eyes. She hadn't even realized she'd begun to cry again.

Emily sat quietly in the only chair in the small room. She was close enough to touch him if she tried-not that she did. She pulled her knees up against her and hugged them tightly--watching Matt's chest rise and fall with every breath.

As she stared at him, the rest of the day's events floated through her mind.

* * *

_As she watched apprehensively Emily was vaguely aware of Cheryl's hand on her arm-keeping her from running over to her partner. She noticed one paramedic shake his head slowly, but at the direction of another, continued CPR._

_"He's still not breathing" the paramedic shouted to his partner who'd gone to retrieve a defibrillator, in hopes of starting Matt's heart._

_"No..." Emily managed, shaking her head furiously, "NO!" She brought her hand to her mouth to stop herself from yelling. Cheryl saw the white rush over the negotiators face as she begin to tremble--from adrenaline or fear or some combination of the two. Cheryl wrapped her arms around the her just in time as Emily's knees buckled beneath her and the two collapsed to the ground._

_Cheryl held Emily close as she tried to console her, "Em, it's going to be okay," she murmured, attempting to sound confident in her statement._

_The EMT returned and quickly powered up the defibrillator, "Clear" he yelled as he place the paddles on Matt's chest and sent 300 volts of electricity coursing through his body._

_Nothing._

_"350. Clear," the paramedic said again after increasing the voltage._

_Nothing._

_"One more time. Charging, 400. Clear."_

_The paramedic placed the stethoscope over Matt's heart hoping to find the faintest sign of life._

_"We've got a rhythm, it's shallow, but it's there" he said letting out the deep breath he'd been holding in. "Let's get him out of here before we loose that heart beat," he continued._

_Emily's head shot up from where it was cradled in her hands. She stared in disbelief as, within seconds, they had transported Matt from the ground to a stretcher and hurried towards the awaiting ambulance._

_"Wait" Emily said as she climbed to her feet and made her way to the ambulance. "Wait. I have to go with him" she insisted to the EMT who was climbing into the rig along with her partner._

_"Ma'am, I'm afraid I can't let you ride in here" he replied, not waiting for a response he closed the double doors and the vehicle left, lights and sirens blaring._

_Emily looked down at the gravel beneath her feet, it was stained with Matt's blood. She bent over and picked up the shredded t-shirt that had been cut off of him and held it tight against her chest. Cheryl slowly walked up behind her and placed a comforting hand on her arm._

_After scanning her from head to toe and noticing Emily's blood soaked clothes, another EMT hurried over to where she was standing with Cheryl, "Miss, are you hurt?"_

_Cheryl's grip on the negotiator tightened and Emily finally answered, "N-no... I need to go--" she began pointing in the direction the ambulance had gone._

_The EMT reached up and gently touched a spot on Emily's forehead, she winced and pulled away, "Really... I'm fine... I just-I need to see Matt."_

_"Come with me. Let me check you out, make sure you're okay. Then you can go to the hospital and see your friend."_

_"Emily, please listen to him. Just let them check you over and I'll drive you to the hospital myself" Cheryl pleaded._

_Not wanting to waste anymore time, Emily conceded and followed after the EMT._


	3. Chapter 3

Emily turned as she heard the door creek open, an older woman walked in wearing a set of peach colored scrubs. The woman looked over and saw Emily huddled in the small chair beside her patient's bed.

"Hi there. I'll only be a minute, I just need to check his vitals" the nurse told Emily who only nodded.

Em watched the nurse glanced over the chart that had been hanging on the foot of Matt's bed. She took a few notes while reading the information off of the various monitors that were attached to Matt.

"Ok hun, he's all yours now. I'll be back in a few hours for an update" the nurse said as she headed for the door.

"Thank you" Emily mumbled as the nurse exited the room, she was grateful to be alone with Matt once again. She stood up, wiped the tears from her eyes and took two small steps, closing the gap between her chair and Matt's bed.

Emily slowly climbed onto the edge of the bed, she laid down on her side and gently rested her head on Matt's right shoulder. She was careful not to make contact with his wounds, but she needed the comfort of having him nearby. Em took a deep breath wanting nothing more than that familiar 'Matt scent' instead of the latex like hospital smell that she'd been around all afternoon.

"Yes," Emily whispered as she carefully snuggled in closer to Matt. As she began to drift off in Matt's arms, Emily thought back to the previous night…

* * *

_Emily flipped through her set of keys trying to find the one that would let her into the house that she shared with Matt. Though they'd never made it official, Emily had moved in with Matt six months ago, she'd decided to keep her apartment, but only went over there on the weekends to water the plants._

_The moment she opened the front door Emily knew that Matt was up to something. The small foyer at the front door and the living room straight ahead were pitch black, the only light that could be seen was coming from the dinning room around the corner. Emily made her way through the house, as she rounded the corner she gasped at the sight before her._

_There were at least a hundred tiny candles flickering throughout the room, soft music was playing in the background, the table was set for two with tall tapered candles placed on either side of a bouquet of white roses._

_As Emily scanned the room she saw Matt leaning against the wall near the kitchen, a glass of white wine in one hand, the other tucked away in the pocket of his jeans._

_"Welcome home," Matt said as he pushed himself away from the wall and strode over to Emily._

_"What is all this?" Emily asked. As Matt handed her the crystal glass, she took a sip, never losing eye contact with her partner. Matt just grinned playfully, he could almost see the wheels turning inside his girlfriends head as she tried to figure out what was going on._

_"Dinner," Matt replied vaguely._

_"Dinner?"_

_"Yes, dinner," Matt teased, "You know, that meal we all like to eat between lunch and bedtime?" He pulled Emily's chair away from the table and she took a seat._

_She reached out and fingered one of the roses, "They're beautiful!"_

_"I'm glad you like them…" Matt said. He pulled one of the long stem roses out of the porcelain vase and handed it to her, "For you."_

_Matt smiled when he saw the color rise in Emily's cheeks, he prided himself in know exactly how to make her blush._

_"What did you make for dinner? I'm starving!"_

_"Umm, well, I wasn't really sure which would fit the mood better, steak or lobster. So, I decided to go with your favorite. I'll be right back." Matt turned and headed for the kitchen leaving Emily to wonder what he'd chosen for dinner. Matt returned a few moments later holding two plates with dome shaped silver covers, he placed one in front of Emily and other in front of the seat next to her._


	4. Chapter 4

Emily's head jerked up as she felt the body next to her began to move. She sat straight up in the bed and turned to face Matt who appeared to be regaining consciousness. Matt attempted to open his eyes, but closed them again quickly, blinded by the fluorescent lights overhead.

"Matt?" Emily questioned as she leaned in closer to him.

Matt was sluggish but managed to lift his head just enough to make eye contact with her.

"Hi" Emily said softly as she reached up to run her fingers through his hair, "How are you feeling?"

"Like a million bucks," Matt replied in a raspy tone.

He took hold of the bed rail and made an effort to bring himself into a sitting position, but quickly decided against it when he felt the pain course through his body. Instead, he grabbed Emily's hand and pulled her towards him. She sank down onto the stiff hospital bed and carefully buried her face in Matt's chest. He wrapped his arms around her, running one up and down her back while she silently sobbed against him.

The negotiators were startled by the sound of the latch on the door, they both looked up to find the nurse barging into the room.

"It's about time you woke up," the older woman said when she that Matt was now  
conscious. She once again picked up the medical chart off the foot of the bed and wrote down Matt's vital signs.

While finishing up she looked over at Matt and asked, "Do you need anything honey? Are you feeling alright?"

"My side is killing me," Matt muttered, nodding towards the large bandage wrapped around his torso.

Emily spun her head towards Matt, a look of concern coming over her face, "why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to worry you. It just hurts a little, that's all," Matt insisted, trying to calm her fears.

"Ok, dear, just sit tight and I'll see if I can get you something for the pain," the nurse said as she patted the top of Matt's hand.

"Thank you," he replied as she walked back towards the door.

The nurse stopped and turned around suddenly, "before I forget, there are some people out here that want to see you. Can I send them in?"

Emily looked at Matt who nodded, "of course they can come in."

Moments later the door opened once again. Cheryl, Frank, Lia and Duff walked in all smiles, happy to see that Matt was awake.

"What? No presents?" Matt joked as the team surrounded his bed.

"I see you haven't lost your sense of humor. Maybe you should have hit your head when you fell," Frank teased.

Despite the laughter his comment caused, Cheryl glared across the bed at Frank to silence him.

"Sorry."

"Matt," Cheryl began, "you look like you're feeling better."

"I'm not too bad, just sore."

"How about you?" Lia asked, directing her question to Emily.

"I'm fine… now," she answered looking directly at Matt.

He smiled back at her and gently rubbed the side of her face with the pad of his thumb. She closed her eyes, relishing the feel of his skin against hers, she kissed the palm of his hand.

"None of that mushy stuff!" Duff exclaimed, shaking his head at the couple.

Lia raised her eyebrows at Duff, "what's wrong with that 'mushy stuff'?"

"It's just not something I care to be around."

"I'll remember that."

"Wait a min-"

"Anyway…," Cheryl interjected, "do you know how long they're going to keep you?"  
Matt shook his head.

"Here we go honey," the nurse said having barely stepped foot in the room.

She approached Matt and pulled a syringe out of the front pocket of her scrub top. The nurse disinfected the IV access tube with an alcohol wipe and punctured the blunt plastic with the tip of the needle. She pushed the plunger into the barrel, injecting the 50 milligram dosage of Demerol into Matt's IV. She added 50cc's of saline into the IV, forcing the drug quickly through Matt's veins.

Just moments after the medication began to take affect, Matt's throat grew dry and he fell into a coughing fit.

Flustered, Emily quickly grabbed the styrofoam cup of ice off the tray table and offered a piece to Matt, "try this."

Matt shook his head as he began wheezing and gasping for air, his face faded into a ghastly shade of white.

"I… can't… breathe."

Sirens on every monitor in the room began whaling. The spikes on the Matt's EKG were off the charts, his heart was beating way too fast.

"Matt? What's wrong?" Emily jumping up from the bed, "What's wrong with him?" she shouted a the nurse.

Matt's knuckles turned white from the grip he had on the bed railing. His body began shaking violently as a seizure overtook his body.

"I think he's having an allergic reaction to the medication," the nurse replied as she reclined the head of the hospital bed. She placed the oxygen mask over Matt's mouth and nose to help him breathe.

The nurse reached down and pushed the red emergency button on the guard rail of the bed, causing an alarm to sound outside of Matt's room. Seconds, later a team of doctors and nurses rushed into the room.

Cheryl backed her team away from the bed as the medical staff horded around him.

"Get them out of here," one doctor ordered.

Emily heard the beeping of Matt's heart monitor start to descend as the beats moved further apart. Then, one, long, shrill, continues beep.

"No! No I need to stay with him!" Emily pleaded for the second time that day.

A male nurse approached Emily from behind and pulled her away against her will. He escorted her to the exit and motioned for the others to follow. Once outside he promised to keep them updated on Matt's condition before going back in to the room.

"I can't do this again," Emily mumbled. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself.

"He's gonna be fine," Lia assured her. She lead Emily to a bench just to right of Matt's door.

Cheryl, Frank and Duff took a seat on the bench opposite them.

Emily rested her head on the younger woman's shoulder as the pair sat there in silence for several minutes. Emily closed her eyes and thought back to the previous night with Matt…


	5. Chapter 5

_Emily looked down at the covered plate questioningly, "is it safe to open it?"_

_"Yes it's safe! What? You don't trust me?" Matt teased._

_"Of course I trust you… just not your cooking," Emily smirked._

_Matt overdramatically grabbed his chest directly over his heart, "I'm hurt."_

_Emily reached over and took the hem of Matt's shirt between her thumb and index finger and gave it a light tug. Matt leaned forward at the request of his girlfriend, she kissed him passionately, "Baby, I'm sorry. I'm sure you did a great job."_

_"That's better." Matt stated as he took the seat next to Emily, "Now, let's eat."_

_Emily, still wary about the food hiding in front of her, cautiously uncovered her dinner plate._

_"Oh my-- Matt…" Emily sighed as she looked at the wonderful meal Matt had prepared._

_Em was completely taken back by the thought he'd put into fixing her favorite foods. In the center of the plate was large bowl of tomato soup with a sprinkle of shredded cheese in the middle. Sitting on the plate around the bowl were four triangular cut piece of a grilled cheese sandwich._

_"You like?" Matt asked, unsure of his choice in dishes._

_"I like," she replied as a tear slid down her cheek. "I can't believe you remembered this."_

_Matt wiped the tear away with the pad of his thumb, "I remember everything you've told me."_

_"You're amazing. Do you know that?"_

_"I do now!" Matt grinned and kiss his partner again. "Dig in."_

_Emily tapped her foot to the mellow jazz music playing in the background as she picked up a slice of her sandwich and dipped in the warm soup. The couple enjoyed their dinner, sipping their wine, discussing the days events and stealing loving glances at one another throughout the evening._

_Without saying a word, Matt picked up the cloth napkin from his lap, wiped the corners of his mouth and set it on the table next to his plate. Emily watched her boyfriend closely, wondering what he could be up to now. He looked deep into her eyes for a long moment, then extended one hand to her. As she placed her hand in his, he pulled her body tight against his and wrapped arms around her. They took a few steps backwards into the dimly lit living room._

_"Dance with me," he whispered in her ear._

_Emily rested her head on Matt's shoulder, knowing that his words were more insistent than questioning. One of her hands found it's way to the back of his head and she fingered the loose strands of Matt's hair. They stayed this way for what seemed like hours, swaying back and forth, matching the rhythm of the music. As the moments passed the room grew darker as many of the tea light candles began to extinguish themselves._

_"Em? Can I ask you something?"_

_"Of course," she said as they continued to dance._

_Matt brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and whispered softly, "Can I spend the rest of my life with you?"_

_Emily's head jerked up from it's resting place and she stared deep into Matt's eyes,_

_"What?"_

_Matt reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out the ring he'd been carrying around for the past two weeks, "Emily Lehman, will you marry me?"_

_She couldn't speak, words were forming in her head, but she was unable to make them into coherent sentences._

_"I--," she muttered._

_Matt's cell phone began to ring forcing their attention to the coffee table below them._

_Emily's phone followed suit as she heard that familiar tone coming from her purse by the door._

_"You have got to be kidding me!" Matt screeched. He reaching for his phone as Emily headed to answer hers._

_"We'll be right there," they said in unison, closing their cell phones._

_Matt turned to Emily, "Can we continue this later?"_

_Emily only nodded._

_"Why don't you hold onto that." Matt insisted, slipping the engagement ring onto Emily's finger._


	6. Chapter 6

Emily lifted her head from the tech girl's shoulder and spoke softly, "he cooked me dinner."

"What?" Lia asked, not sure if she'd heard Emily right

"Yeah, last night. It was perfect. A candlelit dinner, white roses, music… he went all out," Emily reminisced.

"Matt cooks?"

Emily couldn't help but laugh as she thought about the wonderful meal, "yeah, he did pretty good job too."

"What was the occasion?"

Emily reached into the pocket of her blood soaked jeans, where she'd hidden the ring upon arriving to the scene the night before. She opened her hand in front of the tech girl to reveal the ring that was gently nestled in her palm.

The band was platinum with three, quarter caret, round cut diamonds in the center, it was simple, yet elegant. And, much to Emily's surprise, it was much like any ring she would have chosen for herself.

Lia's face beamed with excitement, "Oh my-- Emily! I can't believe you didn't tell me!"  
Emily opened her mouth to speak, but Lia quickly cut in, "Wait. Why aren't you wearing it?"

"I never got the chance to answer him…" Emily's voice trailed off as thoughts of possibly never answering Matt's proposal invaded her mind.

Emily told Lia about the wonderful night Matt planned for them, the whole time she fought back the urge to cry. When Emily finished telling her story all Lia could do was reach over and hug the negotiator, Emily welcomed the much needed gesture.

The ICU room door opened, finally, it had been nearly half an hour. Emily stood up and watched the two doctors and two of the four nurses exit and walk the opposite direction down the hall. She waited patiently for the male nurse to come out and inform her of Matt's prognosis.

She poked her head around the doorframe just in time to see him walk out.

"How is he? Is he ok?" Emily begged.

"I think he's gonna be just fine." the nurse said, he saw Emily let out a deep breath. "Your partner went into anaphylactic shock due to the Demerol he was given to suppress his pain. The reaction caused his blood pressure and heart rate to rise rapidly, in turn stopping his heart completely. We were able to get his heart pumping again, which was our main concern, then we flushed the pain killers out of his system."

"Can I see him?"

"I can't let you back in there just yet, not until he wakes up and we're sure he's ok," the nurse explained.

"Please. I need to be with him."

The nurse sighed and glanced around, making sure no one else could hear him, "Look, if I walk off and you happen to sneak inside that room and no one sees you…"

"Thank you, thank you," Emily cried graciously.

"Just wait a few minutes, the other nurse is cleaning up in there, she should be out shortly.  
If you get caught don't blame me."

"I promise. Thank you again," Emily said as she walked over to her co-workers.

Emily informed the others of her plan to see Matt. Just then she saw the older female nurse leave the room, pushing a cart of medical tools in front of her. Now was her only chance, while the nurse's back was turned. Emily looked up and down hallway to make sure the coast was clear, then quietly slipped into Matt's room unseen. A feeling of déjà vu rushed over her as she saw Matt lying in the hospital bed. She sat down in the small chair next to him again and reached out for Matt's hand. It was limp in her grasp and clammy to the touch, she could feel how much he'd been through.

Emily sat in silence with Matt for over an hour, never taking her eyes off of him.

"Em?" Cheryl said as she tip-toed into the room. "Emily, honey, you need to get some rest," Cheryl placed a concerned hand on Emily's shoulder.

"I can't leave, he needs me."

"You've got to, you're not even supposed to be in here. Frank and Duff have been warding off the nurses for the past forty-five minutes, I'm not sure how much longer they keep it up."

Emily looked up at her supervisor, her eyes were begging Cheryl to let her stay.

"I asked the staff to notify us immediately if he starts to come to. He won't wake up alone."

"Give me a few more minutes, please?"

"I'll be waiting outside," with that, Cheryl left the couple alone.

Emily leaned over Matt and whispered, "I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you." She placed a soft kiss on Matt's lips, then tore herself away from the man she loved.

Emily came out of Matt's room and gently closed the door behind her. She looked at each of her co-workers one by one, silently thanking them for being there for Matt.

"I'll drive you home," Cheryl said as she wrapped one arm around Emily's shoulder's and led the negotiator out of the hospital.


	7. Chapter 7

Cheryl parked her black SUV on the curb in front of Matt's house and shifted the car into park. Not one word had been spoken between the two since they'd left the hospital.

Emily braced herself on the door frame and rested her head against the window, her purse was clutched tightly in her lap.

"Are you gonna be ok?" A concerned Cheryl asked. Emily turned towards her boss, through the exhaustion she could see the helplessness and sincerity in her eyes.

"I umm-- I just--," Emily fumbled her words, not quite convinced herself that she'd be alright alone.

Cheryl removed her seat belt and shut off the car's engine, "come on, I'll stay with you," she said, insisting more so than offering.

The two women exited the car and made their way to the front door of the house, Emily dug her keys out of her purse and hesitantly unlocked the door.

Em lead the way into the house, but stopped suddenly when she saw the remains of her dinner with Matt still set up in the dinning room. Frantically, Emily picked up the two plates from the table and rushed them to the kitchen. She dropped the dishes into the metal sink causing . She turned the knob and waited for the water to heat up before scrubbing the leftovers off the plate.

Cheryl made an attempt to pull Emily away from the sink, but wasn't having much success.

"Stop," Cheryl roared, trying to get Em's attention.

"No! Damn it! I need to get rid of this stuff," Emily cried out. The overwhelming emotions running through her were swelling into a tangled mess; fear, anger, resentment. Unsure what she should be feeling

"Emily? Emily, look at me!" Cheryl ordered.

Emily's knees buckled under her weight and she sank onto the linoleum floor. This time she was unable to keep her emotions in check and she began weeping violently. Cheryl grabbed a tissue out of the box on the counter and sat down on the cool floor next to Emily.

"He going to be fine," Cheryl reassured her.

"You can't promise that," Emily managed between sobs.

Cheryl handed her the tissue, "no, I can't, but I do believe it."

"Thank you… again… for everything," she replied as she dried her eyes.

Cheryl smiled and climbed to her feet, she reached down to Emily who took her hand and pulled herself up.

"Why don't you go get cleaned up while I take care of this," Cheryl motioned to the set up in the dining room.

Emily nodded and wiped the remaining tears away and disposed of the tissue as she left the kitchen. Cheryl focused her attention on the task at hand; removing any reminders of the dinner from the Emily's sight.

The bedroom was just as they'd left it the previous morning after being rushed for time. Matt had refused to leave the bed until Emily gave into his demands, she didn't bother arguing.

The bed was a disheveled mess, clothes were scattered along the floor, they'd even forgotten to cut the alarm clock radio off. Emily pushed a button to silence the soft rock station that woke she and Matt up every morning.

After gathering a change of clothes that included Matt's grey FBI academy t-shirt, Emily made her way into the bathroom. She stepped into the shower and allowed the water to cascade over her, it scalded her back, but she didn't seem to mind. She stood there under the faucet, one hand propping her up against the wall, trying to rinse away the pain they day had caused. She remember waking up with Matt the day before…

_"Get back in this bed!" Matt yelled playfully, he reached out to grab her._

_Emily managed to evade Matt's grasp, "Matt get up. You're not making us late again, you know Cheryl's been on a rampage lately."_

_"I'll take care of Cheryl later," he said thrusting himself forward and pulling Emily's naked body back down on the bed. "Right, now I want you to take care of me."_

_"And what exactly do I need to take care of?" Em asked while Matt assaulted her neck with his mouth. _

_Matt just rolled over onto his back and tossed the sheet aside. He raised his eyebrows at her insinuatingly and Emily couldn't help but laugh as she climbed on top of him._

_Within moments they were lost in each other, forgetting all about the schedule they never managed to stick to._


	8. Chapter 8

Hello everyone! I'm so sorry that this took so long, but I'm trying to finish this story up for you. I hope you like it!! Let me know what you think.

Half an hour later Emily wondered back into the living room where Cheryl was putting away the last of the candles. She sat down on the sofa and hugged one of the throw pillows to her chest. Em watched Cheryl go back in to the kitchen, she returned carrying two coffee mugs and placed one in front of Emily.

"Wanna talk about it?" Cheryl asked, sitting on the other end of the couch.

"About what?" Emily said, avoiding Cheryl gaze.

"About what I apparently interrupted last night that has you so upset."

Emily took a sip of her coffee, "you haven't figured it out yet?"

"I have my theories…"

"He proposed." Emily blurted out, refusing to make eye contact with her boss.

Cheryl shook her head, "I really hoped that wasn't I was interfering with last night."

"Wait. You knew about it already?" Emily asked, slightly shocked by what she'd just heard.

"Matt came to me a little over a week ago, after buying the ring, and asked me if I could allow the two of you to work together if you were married. I had to pull a few strings, but I told him four days ago that the upper-ups were going to permit it. After seeing the house tonight, I kind of figured…"

Shaking, Emily began, "I ca-"

"Em, honey…" Cheryl reached out and took the steaming coffee cup from Emily before it spilled and set it on the table next to hers.

"It's just- Matt's the only guy who has ever really cared about me…" she admitted, "I mean, really cares about me…" Cheryl nodded silently, giving the negotiator time to compose herself before continuing, "I think want to marry him…"

Cheryl's eyes widened, "You think?" she asked, confused, "What did you tell him last night?"

"I-nothing… I mean, he asked… and I have to admit, I was in shock at first… and then I tried to say something—I just couldn't, then you called and… I don't know--"

"Look, Em… I'm not going to tell you what you should do, but… You know that feeling like every love song was written with you in mind? Or you know that there are so many things you could say about him-but when you try, you realize that there aren't any words that can describe what he means to you… That's when you know it's real and, Emily, that only comes around once in a lifetime…" Cheryl told her.

"I love him… I'm in love with him…I want to marry him, but I'm afraid that I might not get that chance. I feel so helpless, I feel like I'm dying with him," Emily said, admitting her fears to her boss.

"Don't…" Cheryl insisted. "You can't think that way, the pain will eat you alive inside. Matt loves you, I can see it in him everyday, he wants to spend the rest of his life with you. You have to give him your answer, he needs to hear you say it."

Emily sat in silence pondering the decision that had to be made, she let out a small laughed, "We're getting married!" she exclaimed, actually believing it for the first time.

The two women spent the next hour talking and sipping their coffee. They rambled over a number of different topics, Matt being the lengthiest of them. Emily looked down at her watch and yawned, it's was after 4am, she'd been up for nearly 20 hours.

"Visiting hours don't start until 9am," Cheryl informed her. "You should try to get some sleep, you've been through a lot today."

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine. I'll wait by the phone incase the hospital calls." Cheryl pointed towards the bedroom, "Go ahead, you need to rest."

The negotiator yawned again and laid her head on the armrest, "I think I'll stay here on the couch, I'm not sure if I can handle sleeping in that bed without him."

"Alright, I'll wake you if I hear anything," Cheryl promised

Emily pulled the afghan off the back of the couch and tucked herself in. A feeling of loneliness came over her as she drifted off to sleep, visions of Matt were running through her head.

_'The floral arrangements are extravagant' she quietly observed, looking through the open door of the foyer. Emily noticed a group of four well dressed individuals clustered together in front of the pulpit. Upon closer inspection she recognized each of them as her close friends and co-workers. Emily entered the church, taking small steps, trying not to disturb the nearly silent room. Halfway down the aisle all four pairs of eyes turned their attention to her as she made her way towards the them._

_Emily glanced to her left and saw the small tears that had invaded the corners of the HRT Commander's eyes. As she looked at each of the people gathered around her she noticed that Frank tears weren't alone, sorrow was evident in everyone. Emily felt a light touch on her arm, Lia looked at her mournfully before leading her to the front pew, the other's took their seats behind her. _

_The minister cleared his throat and began, "Family and friends we are gathered here today to celebrate the life of a wonderful man…"_

_Emily watched on in confusion as the reverend continued to speak softly. His voice was gentle and his words kind hearted as he told stories of a man that seemed to be loved by many. _

_As the service came to an end, Emily's curiosity got the best of her as she stared intently at the casket from a distance. She stood up from her seat on the wooden pew and took a few steps towards the cherry colored box. As she grew nearer she was able to make out features of the body inside, his intertwined hands resting across his chest, his double breasted, charcoal suit, the thick locks of jet black hair. She inched her way forward and peered over the edge of the coffin… Matt…_


	9. Chapter 9

_I'm so sorry this has taken so long to finish. I honestly didn't realize that I hadn't posted the whole thing. This chapter is kind of short, I'm sorry, but the final chapter should be up soon. Enjoy :)_

* * *

Cheryl's head jerked up from its resting place at the kitchen table upon hearing the ghastly scream behind her. She rushed into the living room and knelt down beside the couch, desperately trying to rouse Emily. She could see the beads of sweat across the young woman's forehead, but to the touch she was freezing.

"Emily? Em, honey!" Cheryl cried out, shaking her frantically. "Emily, wake up!"

The negotiator shot up from the fetal position she'd worked herself into, her eyes were bloodshot and swollen from the devastating nightmare. She tightly clutched the blanket draped over her shoulders until the color had completely rushed from her knuckles.

Cheryl gently rubbed the side of Emily's arm, trying to console her, "Are you ok?"

Emily swung her legs off the side of the couch and stood up, "I have to go to him… We have to leave now!" she said, grabbing her cell phone off the coffee table and bolting for the door.

Sensing the urgency, Cheryl grabbed her car keys and followed Emily out to the SUV, never questioning the negotiator.

They arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later, Cheryl drove up to the main entrance. Emily had the door open and one foot on the ground before the car came to a complete stop. She sprinted between the two automatic doors and through the lobby towards the elevators. She pressed the button to signal the lift to pick her up and waited impatiently. When it didn't arrive in due time, Emily's patience ran out. She rounded the corner to the stairwell and jerked the door open, slamming it against the wall. She hurried up the three flights of stairs to the ICU floor and barged through the metal door.

A doctor making his morning rounds grabbed the negotiator's arm as she tried to rush past him. He jerked the young woman around, bringing her face to face with the dark skinned man. "You can't be--," he began, but Emily cut if him off, flashing her badge and ID, "FBI." The doctor released her, needing no further explanation for her presence. The entire hospital had been buzzing with bureau employees checking up on their colleague.

She slowed her pace as she approached Matt's room, the door was slightly ajar. Emily took a deep breath and forged onward, pushing the door aside. She paused in the threshold, motionless, terrified to move forward, to bring her nightmare to life.


	10. Chapter 10

_Here is the final chapter..._

* * *

Beep… Beep… Beep…

Matt was alive, still unconscious, but breathing none the less. Emily let out a sigh of relief and wiped the tear from the corner of her eye. She sat down slowly on the side of the bed, fingering the hem of her oversized t-shirt. She reached out with shaky fingers to touch the warm skin of her boyfriend's hand. With the lightest of touches she traced the length of Matt's fingers with her own.

Emily maneuvered her petite frame into the uncomfortable bed next to Matt, just as she'd done the previous day. A mixture of fear and trepidation overcame her as she thought of what life would be like without this man. This man that had taken the one thing from her that she had never given fully given any other, her heart. Against her better judgment Emily had fallen in love with her partner and, God willing, she wasn't going to let him leave her now.

She watched the rise and fall of Matt's chest while his even breathing lulled her into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

_"Special Agent Emily Lehman, I'd like you to meet our senior negotiator, Matthew Flannery." Cheryl grinned at Matt as she introduced him to the most recent addition the CNU. "Matt, meet your new partner."_

_Matt's eyes traveled the length of the young woman's athletic body. She was dressed formally for her first day on the job; black suit, stylish, yet sensible, shoes and a white blouse, which was unbuttoned just enough at the top to be sexy while remaining professional. She was certainly not unattractive by any means, but Matt could tell that the outfit did nothing to show off her hidden figure._

_Emily stepped forward, intentionally breaking Matt's focus, and extended a greeting hand, "Agent Flannery, it's so great to be working with you. I've read all of your case reports, your work is very impressive."_

_"Thank you," Matt chuckled as he took her hand, tying to avoid his boss' glare. On paper 'Special Agent Flannery' could be the poster boy for the FBI's Crisis Negotiation Unit, but despite his impeccable success rate, the upper-ups were not usually thrilled with is tactics in the field._

_Cheryl cleared her throat, tearing the Agent's eyes from one another and back to their superior, "Matt, could I speak to you in private for just a moment?"_

_"Yeah, sure," he said, finally, and reluctantly, releasing his new partner's hand. The pair walked towards the exit door of the basement training room, but not fair enough away that Emily couldn't hear pieces of their conversation._

_"… she's good…" "… yes ma'am…" "… no jokes…" "… I had nothing to do with that…" "… best behavior…""… survived working with you…"_

_During her brief moments alone, Emily took the opportunity to size up her partner. She took a slow turn glancing around the large space to keep her main focus inconspicuous. There was the indoor shooting range, the simulation building,-which she would later learn to call the 'Kill House'- the locker rooms, male on one side, female on the other. It was all pretty standard for the FBI._

_She shifted her gaze toward Matt, but managed to keep her eyes locked on the 'Rules of the Training Room' poster on the wall behind him. Her peripheral vision took in all the information she needed; Matt wore faded blue jeans, sneakers and a t-shirt. His outfit spoke greatly about him, as the profiler in Emily noted. He dressed very casual in such a professional and business-like setting because he was confident in himself and his work. Emily smiled, she couldn't help but appreciate that about him as she thought back to her work in Phoenix. Her partner then, even in the common triple-digit heat, would always wear a suit and tie. It drover her crazy._

_Matt seemed different from any of the negotiators she'd been around, even from such a short encounter. She had seen the care and passion in his eyes, this wasn't just a job to him._

_Emily broke from her trance upon hearing the metal door slam shut. She had completely missed Cheryl leaving the basement._

_"Lehman," Matt called, "how about a tour of the building?"_

_Emily nodded as approached him, "I'd like that."_

_Matt pushed open the door and gestured for her to exit the room. As Emily passed in front of him, Matt allowed his hand to escort her, grazing his fingers across the small of her back._

_Emily could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. 'This is going to be an interesting partnership…,' she thought to herself._

* * *

The rapid vibrations against her hip startled the sleeping negotiator and she quickly reached for her phone. She looked at the name flashing on the front screen and flipped it open, "Cheryl… I'm so sorry abo--"

"Don't worry about it."

Emily stood up from the bed and paced the room, "I just-- I was scared."

"It's ok. Really. He's fine and that's all that matters." Cheryl paused briefly, she heard Emily take in a deep breath as she fought back her tears. "I spoke to he nurses after dropping you off and they said Matt was stable, I figured I'd give you some time alone with him."

"Thank you."

"Everyone will be by later to visit. Please call me if anything changes."

Emily stared out the window, watching as the parking lot began to fill several floors below. The morning sun had risen just above the tree line casting a beautiful orange glow over the horizon. "I will. Thanks again, Cheryl, for everything."

"You're welcome," Cheryl said before hanging up the phone.

"Could you keep it down? I'm trying to sleep here."

Emily's head jerked around upon hearing Matt's voice, he was looking directly at her. She brought her hand to her mouth unable to believe what she was seeing.

He blinked several times as the sunlight shined across his face. His eyes were dark and heavy, he could barely hold them open. His thick, dark hair was a scattered mess, just like she remembered it being every morning she'd been with him. The stubble along his jaw was thicker than normal, but gave him a very rugged looked.

"Hi again," Matt said with a boyish grin.

Emily spoke the first word that came to mind, "Yes."

"Yes what?"

Emily walked over the bed and sat down beside her boyfriend once again, "Yes, I'll marry you."

Matt laid there, speechless, not quite certain that his ears-or the medication-weren't playing tricks on him. Emily felt Matt's hand slide up the side of her arm and come to rest against her neck, he pull her gently towards him.

"I love you," he said affectionately. He tenderly traced the outline of her soft lips before bringing them together for a long, passionate kiss.

Emily pulled away slowly so not to cause any additional injuries to her partner's fragile torso.

He noticed the sparkle in her eyes as she smiled, "Emily Flannery," she said, trying it out.

"I like it."

She interlaced her fingers with his. Matt could feel the cool platinum band of the ring he'd given her on her finger, exactly where it belonged.

THE END

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_Thank you all sooooo much for sticking by this story! I know it took forever for me to finish it, but I'm glad that everyone kept reading. _

_Feedback is greatly appreciated :)_


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